Book Description

This essay sheds light on what are trust funds, demystifies the different types of trust funds, reveals the best type of trust fund to have, delineates the benefits of having a trust fund, and expounds upon the problems with not having a trust fund. Unbeknownst to most people, a trust fund refers an entity that is established by a trustor for the purpose of providing financial stability and financial security to the beneficiaries of the trust. The assets of the trust fund are transferred to the trustee by the trustor of the trust. The trustee of the trust manages the trust fund’s assets and is responsible for carrying out "the directives of the trust". The trustee of the trust should act in the trustor’s best interest and should not renege on carrying out "the directives of the trust". The trustee of the trust is entrusted with the responsibility of doling out the assets of the trust to the beneficiaries of the trust in accordance with "the directives of the trust". The beneficiaries of the trust receive the assets from the trust fund. The assets that comprise a trust fund typically consist of investment securities and fiat currency. The assets that comprise a trust fund can however consist of other types of assets and are not limited to just consisting of investment securities and fiat currency. The assets that comprise a trust fund can, for instance, also consist of real estate proprieties, businesses, and life insurance policies. Prospective trustors will often procure the services of a trust attorney to assist them with establishing trusts. The perquisites of establishing a trust can vary from trust to trust. Succinctly stated, a trust fund can be deemed an entity that holds assets of the trust. A trust fund is often replete with assets. The beneficiaries of the trust receive the assets from the trust fund which allows them to amplify their wealth. The parties of a trust fund encompass the beneficiaries, the trustee, and the trustor. The trustor of the trust establishes the terms appertaining to the distribution of the assets of the trust fund. The trustee is expected to dole out the assets of the trust fund to the beneficiaries of the trust based on the terms that are stipulated in the trust agreement. There are an exorbitant amount of disparate types of trust funds. The type of trust funds are not limited to being revocable trust funds and irrevocable trust funds. Other types of trust funds encompass the “spendthrift trust fund, the testamentary trust fund, the qualified personal residence trust fund, the land trust fund, the grantor retained annuity trust fund, the asset protection trust fund, the blind trust fund, the charitable remainder trust fund, the generation-skipping trust fund, the individual retirement account (IRA) trust fund, the qualified terminable interest property trust fund, the totten trust fund, and the marital trust fund”. One of the primary types of trust funds are irrecoverable trust funds. An irrevocable trust “refers to a type of trust where its terms cannot be modified, amended, or terminated without the permission of the trustor’s beneficiary or beneficiaries. The grantor, having effectively transferred all ownership of assets into the trust, removes all of the grantor’s rights of ownership to the assets and the trust”. An irrecoverable trust cannot be modified once it is established. The assets of an irrecoverable trust fund are transferred by the trustor to the trustee of the trust. The trustee of the irrecoverable trust manages the trust fund’s assets and is responsible for carrying out "the directives of the irrecoverable trust". The trustee of the irrecoverable trust should act in the trustor’s best interest and should not renege on carrying out "the directives of the trust". The trustee of the irrecoverable trust is entrusted with the responsibility of doling out the assets of the irrecoverable trust fund to the beneficiaries of the trust in accordance with "the directives of the irrecoverable trust". Irrevocable trust funds are established for the prospect of protecting assets. Establishing an irrevocable trust can be an integral component of estate planning. Establishing an irrevocable trust can bear steep costs. As of April of 2022, if you procure the services of a trust attorney to assist you with establishing an irrevocable trust fund, then it can cost between $3,000-$6,000 to establish an irrevocable trust. Establishing an irrevocable trust fund can be deemed to be a highly time-consuming and complex process. When assets are transferred to irrevocable trust funds, they are deemed to be protected from creditors.